Love's Jail
by Ppun
Summary: Ichigo didn’t know what to say. The man in front of her was kneeling and was even patting her hand back and forth; it was sending chills up her spine! 'Say yes.'" Ichigo has just been asked to teach. How will she deal with it? Or Ryou in that matter?


Title: Love's Jail

Rating: T (I'm gonna go with.. something like PG-13?)

Pairing: Ichigo x Ryou

Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't own Tokyo Mew Mew.

Chapter 1: Proposal

* * *

Ichigo didn't know what to say. The man in front of her was kneeling and was even patting her hand back and forth; it was sending chills up her spine!

"Say yes."

Ichigo sighed scratching her head at the offer, "The minute I graduate high school and become an adult.. you ask me such a question?!"

Keiichiro nodded holding up boxes of make-up and a wig. He dared ask her to _pretend_ to be a teacher at mew mew prodigy school—(I don't know the name, so I made it up. It never mentions which school Berry was from. And if I'm wrong, feel free to tell me.)--. She knew for a fact she could not stand girls prettier, richer, and did she mention _younger_, than her!

The younger lady stopped her foot and mumbled a small, "fine."

Keiichiro nodded in sadisfaction, "But we can't tell anyone."

"What?" Ichigo yelped as she patted the hand she took so long to regain from the man in front of her. He had not aged at all in the last five years. It was indeed mysterious. Yet, as ageless as he seemed, the stress wrinkles, and tired eyes only seemed to increase in value.

The man scratched his head with hesitation, "You see, I had promised Ryou I would find the replacements for the retired teachers… but… it's not as easy as you think…"

Ichigo blinked, "why me? Lettuce is much smarter!"

"I don't want to force her to do anything… besides, I'll write out all your lessons and homework. All you have to do is deliver it!"

Ichigo slapped her forehead in agreement. She was still in the Mew Mew Café, closing up. She leaned the broom in the cleaning closet and sighed again, "Alright.. but remember that I still have my graduati-"

"-And end of year parties, balls, I know… It's fine right? You don't study aboard with Masaya until next fall."

Ichigo blushed at these words, "So it's only for a year right?"

"Of course.. And when the time comes, you can just simply _retire_ and _resign_ your position!"

The girl fumbled with the supplied in the kitchen, and then simply let them roll and crash onto the lower shelf.. the upper counter.. to the counter.. to the nearby table…. and well.. all the way to the floor.

"Ishigo? Is… something wrong" Keiichiro asked worriedly. He could only ask Ichigo because all the other mew mews were unfit in a teaching environment.

"You said retire.. As in.. _old?!_ As in.. I'm playing someone _old?!_"

Keiichiro fanned his hands in the air, "It was only an idea—I mean you could be 40, or 50.. or or—"

The girl frowned, "You did not say anything about _lying._"

"Oh! No! It is not lying!"

"Yeah.. you are right.. just fraud right?"

"Well.. no.. just" Keiichiro scratched his head, "I thought it was fairly obvious.. Apparently.. not.."

"No.. apparently not.." Ichigo mocked, going through the box Keiichiro brought in. There were wigs of all sorts, blonde, brunette, even redhead. The make-up was extremely high-class as well.

"The pay is extremely well! And tell you what! There will be an ex-" Keiichiro stumbled through his words. He was desperate for a teacher. Ryou would have his head if he failed to have the appropriate number of faculty this year.

"I'll do it."

"A very large extr-.. wait what?" the man asked again, correctly his tie. At the same time, he was looking at his watch. Ryou will come down soon to lock up.

"I said I would do it?" Ichigo said again. She was preparing to leave. Her maid clothes were in her bag, ready to be dry-cleaned, and her days-pay was already stuffed in her pocket. "I'll see you tomorrow"

"Agreed," Keiichiro nodded. His ponytail swung with his head. Even Ichigo noticed how handsome he was when she was younger.

Ichigo hadn't been Mew Ichigo in a while, in fact, years. It seemed that her powers had started to fade again. It had been strange in the first place when it appeared again, against the Saint Rose Crusaders.

Ichigo can still remember Ryou's words, '_Perhaps it was just a fluke…' _She was angry at the time, but to this day, she started to think he was right. While her friends were out saving the world, all she could do was watch and clean up the café. She should have left for England with Masaya instead of staying.

Staying in Tokyo only seemed to hurt more.

* * *

"Keiichiro?" a young man's voice rang in the office. His light blonde hair was hovering over his eyes. He had taken over a girl's boarding school several years back. It was the one of the best. Berry Shirayuki still attended this school, and recently Pudding Fong enrolled as well.

"Yes sir?" The man questioned pausing from his shelving of binders.

Ryou shifted his eyes back to his desk, and leaned back in his chair. He didn't relax infront of just anyone, it had to be someone close, "The front office just contacted me, a Miss Chiyo Nakajima is here for an interview. They said that she was recommended by you?"

Keiichiro gulped. "ah, yes. I found her while walking at the Tokyo University."

He had not seen Ichigo all morning. Instead, he was too busy trying to look natural. He regretted it now, he should have supervised her on what to wear.

A knock came at the door.--The golden moment!

"Come in."

A woman, (or girl), walked in wearing classic flats. The original light locks had been tied and covered by a blonde wig. The auburn eyes were hidden behind emerald contacts. The suit was a dark blue, matched with a pastel scarf.

A soft(and high) pitched voice wisped through the air, "I am Miss Chiyo Nakajima, here to apply for the open staff." Ichigo tried not to cough. Her nervousness was causing her voice to go higher. Was this a good or bad thing?

With eyes bulging, Keiichiro shifted back and forth until he decided he needed strong coffee to calm himself.. and perhaps Ichigo.

"Have a seat" Ryou smiled, moving his hands toward the chair in front of him. Ichigo sat down. The room was spacious! When the girl finally put two and two together, she understood where Ryou went to avoid fangirls, and well… civilization.

"Miss Nakajima.. Where did you study?"

Rubbing her tired eyes, Ichigo replied in her altered voice, "I studied at Tokyo University." The night before, she stayed up reading Keiichiro's notecards.

"I spent a year in England as well." Which wasn't a lie at all.

"Why did you pick a teaching major?" Ryou asked, his eyes fixed on her.

Ichigo was not prepared for this one. Who knew Ryou could ask normal questions at a job interview. At the same time, Keiichiro had walked back in carrying a tray of steaming coffee.

Keiichiro looked up, the girl was making weird faces at him. The left eye moved up, then the nose twitched… was this some code? Maybe it was some kind of signal that everything was going well? No? Well that's too bad… Apparently he didn't take it that way, considering that he made small thumbs up back at her.

Mentally slapping herself, she turned her head back at her cup of coffee. That's it. She was going to wing it! "Ah.. y-yes. See, I picked a teaching degree because.."

Her head was spinning. Perhaps the coffee would help. Ichigo lifted the small china cup to her lips, "I picked a teaching degree because I really liked monkeys"

Ryou choked in his seat, "…Because.. you like monkeys?"

Ichigo's eyes seemed to start spinning, "ahaha.. yes.. See.. My father threatened to kick me out if I studied real monkeys, so my college professor told me to teach! He told me that children were close to monkeys and apes!"

A soft chuckle could be heard in the back. Obviously belonging to Keiichiro. What did she do now? Did she screw up? The answer was probably yes…

* * *

The interview was over, and Ryou was walking through school grounds down to his classy limo. The students here were so rich, many of them owned limos nicer then his!

He was still holding his stomach from laughter, "Keiichiro! Your taste is quite interesting." His eyes were wet, and his shirt was getting wrinkled.

".…" Keiichiro laughed with him. Of course he thought it was funny too, but now that he thought of it…. ... It was probably sheer luck that Miss Nakajima landed the job afterall!

"I like her."

"Excuse me sir?"

Ryou nodded, "I like her, very free and unique. I think the students will like her. I think students need teachers they can remember rather then forget."

Keiichiro nodded. The moving vehicle was making a turn toward the café. It looked magnificent and grand as always. The golden cat still shimmered on the top of the dome, its ruby eyes staring down at the visitors.

"Keiichiro? Ichigo, Mint, and Lettuce are all graduating this year correct?"

"Correct? Ryou?"

"It's nothing.. Is Ichigo not going back to England with Masaya?"

Keiichiro turned to face the young man next to him. His face was toward him, but his face was reflected through the car window.

"The term doesn't start until next year. She missed the deadline. Masaya is already in Engladn however."

It didn't seem to reach Ryou's ears however. He just kept mumbling, "a year left…"

* * *

**Author's Notes**: Hey guys, thanks for reading this. I just started this fanfic because I officially ran out of ideas for my other Tokyo Mew Mew fanfic.. sadly. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll try to write more!

I actually have a lot of ideas to build it up. I know.. it's disappointing! I don't believe in stories where they love each other off the bat, sure it's interesting, but I just can't write that kind of thing. :P

So… This takes place after _Tokyo Mew Mew_ and _Tokyo Mew Mew a La Mode_… And Ichigo is still with Masaya yes… I could have kicked him out, I could have vaporized him.. But I decided to do this instead… I do plan on for him to appear though!

Anyway, thanks for reading! I look forward to any reviews and comments.


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